Gun Ruling Ricochets Around County

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In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms cannot be restricted by state and local governments, and that a Chicago handgun ban went too far.

Basically, the high court banned states and cities from banning guns.

Bryan Wildenthal, a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, said the San Diego area doesn't have any gun laws as restrictive as that Chicago area ban on handguns, so immediate changes won't be seen.

San Diego gun shop owner Marc Halcon said he was disappointed that the Supreme Court decision was so close but admitted that Monday's court decision on gun ownership opens up the possibility of challenging California's assault-weapons ban.

"I'm against the California assault weapons ban as it exists," Halcon said. "I think the entire country had an assault weapons ban that sunsetted a few years ago, basically saying that there was saw no increase in crime or anything else with the existence of assault weapons."

Halcon is also hoping Monday's court ruling will will make the process for granting concealed weapons permits less restrictive for law abiding citizens.

"Every county within the state has their own little arbitrary way of doing that. and we have found through experience in San Diego, it's very restrictive," Halcon said.

Also on Monday, Azim Khamisa, a professional speaker who tours the country sharing the story of how he lost his son to gun violence, issued the following statement.

"I totally respect the Supreme Court's decision regarding the American right of gun ownership to responsible citizens," Khamisa said. "What I am deadly against and think should be outlawed is the easy access of guns to not-yet-responsible youth in what is called a midnight special, and other terms for it, available in many inner cities."

The Supreme Court decision also suggested that reasonable regulations of the right to bear arms would be allowed, according to Wildenthal.

"Later cases will have to develop whether this would include the right to have a concealed weapon, the right to open carry, the right to possess different kinds of weapons" the professor said.